Firearm construction



Feb. 6, 1968 K. R. LEWIS FIREARM CONSTRUCTION Filed June 2, 1965 INVENTOR KAR L R. LEWIS W, mgfifi ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,367,ll53 FHREARM CONSTRUCTION Karl R. Lewis, 54 Folly Brook Blvd, Wethersfieid, Conn. @6109 Filed June 2, 1965, Ser. No. 469,689 Claims. (Cl. 42-59) This invention relates to firearms and deals more particularly with improved features of construction concerning the frame, barrel and grip of a firearm.

The general object of the present invention is to provide constructional features in a firearm which reduce the cost of manufacture of the firearm without reducing its quality.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a firearm which can be made with fewer hand operations than present firearms of similar quality.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a firearm construction wherein the major portion of the frame can be made as a simple and unitary die cast member with the barrel being made of steel or other harder material and firmly anchored to the frame.

Still another specific object of the present invention is to provide a firearm of the handgun variety and which includes a novel grip and frame assembly whereby the grip may be assembled with the frame and blended with the exposed surface of the frame with a minimum amount of hand labor.

The drawing shows preferred embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a revolver having a die cast frame and otherwise constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the frame of the firearm of FIG. 1 and shows the barrel and pivot pins and other minor parts assembled therewith.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an alternative barrel construction but is otherwise similar to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional View of a second alternative barrel construction but is otherwise generally similar to FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the one-piece grip for the revolver shown in FIG. 1 and is taken along the line 6-6 of that figure.

Turning now to the drawing in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a firearm of the revolver type having a rotatable cylinder 10 which is pivotably supported on a crane 12 for movement into and out of a generally rectangular opening 14 defined in a die cast frame 16. The frame 16 has a forwardly extending shroud portion 18 in which a barrel 20 is firmly secured in a manner to be described in greater detail below. The shroud portion 18 is integral with the remaining portion of the frame. The crane 12 is pivotally received in the frame by a pin (not shown) located in a longitudinally extending frame opening 22.

In the firearm shown in FIG. 1, as in conventional firearms, a suitable firing mechanism is provided for selecice tively firing cartridges stored in the cylinder iii in response to rearward movement of a trigger 24-. In the revolver shown, movement of the trigger 24 operates a hammer 26 which is pivotally supported on a pivot pin 28 fixed to the frame. During a firing operation, a firing pin (not shown) is struck by the upper end of the hammer and slides forwardly in an opening 3%, shown in FIG. 2, to fire a cartridge in the cyiinder 1%. Any one of several well known firing mechanisms may be used in the firearm and since the firing mechanism as such forms no part of the present invention it is not illustrated or described in detail herein. It is, however, an important feature that a chamber for housing this mechanism be provided in the die cast frame to, and such a chamber is indicated generally at 32 in FIG. 2. A side plate 34, shown in FIG. 1, is provided to enclose the firing mechanism chamber 32 in a conventional manner. The frame 16 is slotted as indicated at 36 so that the trigger 24, which is pivotally supported by a pin fixed to the frame, extends downwardly from within the chamber 32. The hammer 26 extends upwardly through a slot 46 defined in the upper rear portion of the frame 16.

With further reference to the frame member 16, a trigger guard 42 is also provided as an integral part thereof, and rearwardly of the trigger guard is a depending portion or stem 44 of generally rectangular cross section which serves as part of a base for a grip 52 which extends some distance above the upper end of the stem 54. The depending stern dd has parallel side faces, one of which is shown at 46 in FIG. 2, and above the stem the frame, with the side plate 34 attached as in FIG. 1 has a thickness equal to the thickness of the depending portion so that at least in the area covered by the upper end of the grip 52, the two side faces of the frame, one of which is actually defined by the outer surface of the side plate 34, are respectively coplanar with the two side faces 46, 46 of the stem 44!. The stem 44 also includes a rearwardly facing surface 48 which is arranged generally normal to the axis of the barrel 2% and which may be convexed slightly as shown in FIG. 6, and a forwardly facing convex surface 56) and a downwardly facing fiat surface 51 which are exposed to view when the grip is assembled with the stem.

The grip 52 is preferably made of wood or plastic and is a unitary member U-shaped in cross section so as to define a vertical groove which receives the frame stem 44 and two side portions which overlie the side faces 46, 46 of the stem and part of the side faces of the portions of the frame located above the stem. As assembled with the stem 44, the grip 52 covers all of the stem except for the forwardly facing convex surface 56 and the downwardly facing fiat surface 51. Above the upper end of the stem 44 the grip 52., on both sides of the frame, extends forwardly to a point adjacent the rear limit of the opening defined by the trigger guard 42. Also, at the upper end of the grip 52 the recess therein extends rearwardly and receives a rearwardly extending portion of the frame. The upper end of the grip therefore extends a substantial distance longitudinally of the frame and thereby minimizes any tendency of the grip to rotate or twist relative to the frame. Also, the forwardly extending portions of the upper end of the grip underlie the index finger and thumb of a user grasping the firearm in a normal firing manner and add thickness to give the firearm a comfortable and secure feel. The grip 52 can be easily mated with a firearm frame of the present invention. To secure the grip to the frame a screw 54 is passed through the two side portions of the grip and through the stem 44 and is threaded into a suitable nut located on one side of the grip. It should also be noted that it is usually necessary when fitting grip pieces to a firearm that after the pieces are secured to the frame they be sanded or otherwise worked to blend their surfaces with the exposed surfaces of the frame. Conventionally, the grip includes two separate side pieces so that the frame is exposed both at the front and rear of the grip, and as a result considerable work is involved in the blending process. In the illusrtated grip construction, however, only the front surface 50 and the bottom surface 51 of the stem 44 are exposed, and the working of the grip to blend its surface with these frame surfaces is an easily performed operation:

The construction of the firearm frame, including the depending stem 44, is further such that it is readily made as a relatively inexpensive die cast part. In the past, efforts have been made toward using die cast frames for firearms, but in general these efforts have been entirely unsuccessful due to the fact that the die cast material is not sufficiently hard to use as a barrel and, therefore, when die cast frames are used separate barrels of other harder material must be also used, and difiiculty has been experienced in securely fastening the separate barrels to the frame. In the firearm illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 this problem is overcome by providing the frame 16 with the shroud 18 which extends the full length of the barrel and into which the barrel is press fitted. The frame is made from aluminum or other relatively soft metal and the barrel receiving opening in the shroud portion 18 thereof is preferably made smaller in diameter, prior to assembly with the barrel 12, than the outside diameter of the barrel, preferably made of hardened steel, by about three to five thousandths of an inch in order to insure that the barrel is firmly secured in the frame. At the rear end of the shroud portion is a flat surface 15 which defines part of the cylinder receiving opening 14-, and preferably when press fitting the barrel into the frame this surface is used as a bearing surface for reacting the force applied to the barrel, thereby eliminating the application of any stress to the bridge portion 51 of the frame which extends along the upper edge of the cylinder receiving cavity. After the barrel 20 is pressed fully into the shroud it is firmly and securely held in position by the interference fit between it and the shroud which extends for the full length of the barrel and no looseness or displacement of the barrel will occur even after many repeated firings of the firearm.

It will be noted that the barrel 20 of FIG. 3 has a smooth outer surface. An alternative barrel 20a, also adapted for press fitting into the shroud 18, is shown in FIG. 4 as having a number of axially spaced annular portions, as indicated generally at 21, 21, each of which portions is knurled so as to define circumferentially spaced radially outwardly protruding ribs as shown which displace the softer frame metal as the barrel is pressed into place in the shroud. After the barrel 21 is fully in place, the frame material between knurled portions tends to return to its undeformed state and thereby tightly engages the ribs of the knurled portions to still more securely hold the barrel in place, both axially and angularly, relative to the shroud.

FIG. 5 shows another alternative barrel and shroud assembly wherein the barrel 20b has several annular portions 21b, 21b, each of which defines forwardly and rearwardly facing radially extending surfaces 23, 23 which resist axial movement of the barrel 20 in the shroud 18. Instead of being press fitted into the shroud 18, the barrel 20b is molded in place by placing it in the die casting mold and then casting the frame material around it. Preferably, each of the annular portions 21b, 21b also includes a circumferential array of axially extending ribs, produced by knurling or other suitable process, which protrude radially outwardly from the surface of said annular por- 4 tions to resist any tendency for the barrel 20b to rotate in the shroud 18b.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a firearm, the combination comprising a cast one-piece frame member defining a chamber open at one side for receiving the various parts of a. firing mechanism, a side plate for enclosing said firing mechanism chamber, said frame member also defining a generally rectangular opening for receiving a cylinder, said frame member having a forwardly extending shroud portion, and a separate one piece barrel secured in said shroud portion, said shroud portion extending substantially the full length of said barrel, said barrel including at least one annular portion defining a forwardly and a rearwardly facing generally radially extending surface for engaging the material of said shroud portion to secure said barrel against axial movement relative to said shroud portion.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of such annular portions are provided in axially spaced relation on said barrel each of which defines rearwardly and forwardly facing generally radially extending surfaces, each of said annular portions also defining circumferentially spaced ribs extending longitudinally of the barrel.

3. In a firearm, the combination comprising a one piece cast frame including a forwardly extending shroud portion, and a one piece barrel retained in said shroud portion, said shroud portion extending substantially the full length of said barrel, and said barrel including at least one annular portion defining a forwardly and a rearwardly facing generally radially extending surface for engaging the material of said shroud portion to secure said barrel against axial movement relative to said shroud portion.

4. In a firearm having a firing mechanism, the combination comprising a frame including a first portion having a mechanism cavity for receiving at least a part of said firing mechanism and also including a shroud portion integral with said first portion and extending forwardly therefrom, said shroud portion having an Opening extending longitudinally therethrough, and a one piece barrel received in, said shroud opening and gripped tightly by said shroud portion so as to be held axially in place relative to said shroud portion by frictional engagement therewith, said barrel and said shroud portion being of substantially equal lengths so that said shroud portion surrounds said barrel along substantailly the full length of said barrel.

5. In a firearm having a firing mechanism, the combination comprising a cast frame having a forwardly extending shroud portion and another portion located rearwardly of said shroud portion, said another portion being integral with said shroud portion and adapted to receive at least a part of said firing mechanism, and a one piece barrel received in said shroud portion and held axially in place relative to said shroud portion by engagement with the material of said shroud portion, said shroud portion being of such length 'as to extend substantially the full length of said barrel, said barrel having a generally cylindrical outer surface which includes a plurality of annular portions provided in axially spaced relation on said barrel, each of said annular portions comprising circumferentially spaced ribs extending longitudinally of said barrel, said ribs extending radially outwardly of said barrel so as to define zones of reduced diameter between said annular portions, and each of said annular portions being of shorter length than said shroud portion and being so located that both ends thereof are located between both ends of said shroud portion so that the material of said shroud portion engages the ends of said annular portions to resist axial movement of said barrel relative to said shroud portion.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bennett 4275.2 Bailey 42-58 Rice 4271 Kelly 42-76 Geber 22200 Lewis 4259 Garner 42-59 VSAMUIEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Examiner. 

1. IN A FIREARM, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A CAST ONE-PIECE FRAME MEMBER DEFINING A CHAMBER OPEN AT ONE SIDE FOR RECEIVING THE VARIOUS PARTS OF A FIRING MECHANISM, A SIDE PLATE FOR ENCLOSING SAID FIRING MECHANISM CHAMBER, SAID FRAME MEMBER ALSO DEFINING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR OPENING FOR RECEIVING A CYLINDER, SAID FRAME MEMBER HAVING A FORWARDLY EXTENDING SHROUD PORTION, AND A SEPARATE ONE PIECE BARREL SECURED IN SAID SHROUD PORTION, SAID SHROUD PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID BARREL, SAID BARREL INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR PORTION DEFINING A FORWARDLY AND A REARWARDLY FACING GENERALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING SURFACE FOR ENGAGING THE MATERIAL OF SAID SHROUD PORTION TO SECURE SAID BARREL AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SHROUD PORTION. 